One reliable journalist can’t see a reported Liverpool transfer target leaving his current club before the end of the summer transfer window.
Last month, The Athletic‘s James Pearce stated that Kalvin Phillips had been ‘among those under consideration’ by the Reds as a potential midfield recruit.
However, his colleague David Ornstein has now said that he expects the 27-year-old to remain at Manchester City, despite widespread speculation of a possible exit from the Etihad Stadium in recent weeks.
The journalist told Hayters TV: “They’ve still got Kalvin Phillips there. Despite a lot of speculation around him I do expect him to stay and fight for his place in the coming season.”
Signed from Leeds for an initial £42m last summer (Sky Sports), the England international started only two Premier League games in his first season at Manchester City (WhoScored) and even had to face accusations from his own manager Pep Guardiola of being ‘overweight’ (BBC Sport).
That mightn’t make Phillips seem like the most appealing transfer target, and in any case Liverpool seem to be concentrating firmly on trying to get Romeo Lavia over the line, although the 27-year-old must’ve done something right at Elland Road to convince the champions to move for him.
He now seems to be off the table for this month, but if he continues to struggle for game-time at the Etihad, could he become a viable target for the Reds in 2024? Let’s see what happens in the meantime.
You can view Ornstein’s comments below (from 2:28), via Hayters TV on YouTube: